Egg main dishes are wonderfully versatile, serving well as a contribution to a breakfast or brunch potluck and taking on center stage for a quick weeknight dinner. This weekend I had the opportunity to make two stratas that demonstrate the wide range of dishes possible with eggs at the base. Our brunch would have fresh…
Toast the Old-Fashioned Way
Though I have had a toaster in my home all my life, I rarely use this appliance and have it tucked away in a corner cabinet, behind a crockpot and a stack of cake pans. Not too long ago, I had some homemade bread a little less fresh than I wanted for a sandwich. Toasting…
Leftover Salads
Leftovers. Images of warmed over, unappetizing lumps of food kind of plopped on a plate or microwaved in a sad looking take out container. Rarely does the term have any kind of positive image. Still, if you are trying to be a more frugal cook, using up leftovers needs to be part of your “kitchen…
Best. Cole Slaw. Ever
Okay, so maybe t”the best cole slaw ever” is just a little too emphatic, but this recipe is one that I have been making for decades, and it always is greeted with acclamation and requests for the recipe. Now that I have a stockpile of cabbages from the St Patrick’s Day sales, I have made…
Corn Bread
When I was growing up, I was often jealous of those around me who had “ethnic” backgrounds that gave them lots of unusual foods and celebrations. A Midwestern farm kid whose family had been in the US since as far back as the 18th century, our food seemed plain and ordinary at times. Oh, there…
Cabbage…and Fish?
This week is a great time for those of us who love cabbage. In every state I have lived in, the grocery stores all feature these fat green balls of crunchiness at really low prices in honor of St Patrick’s Day. Since this is a vegetable that keeps very well (for weeks!) in the refrigerator,…
Getting More Fish into Your Diet
You’ve seen all the healthy eating suggestions that encourage getting more fish into our diets, but you really can’t face another tuna casserole or tuna salad sandwich? You look at the price of fresh seafood and are sure your budget will never be able to handle these meals regularly–even if the kids would even eat…
Mushroom and Barley Soup
Another winter Monday, another round of snow shoveling. Today’s snow was light and fluffy, with the air temperature at a “comfortable” 20 degrees. Still, it was nice to come back into the house to the aroma of homemade soup simmering on the stove. Soup is one of the easiest of foods to make from scratch–really!–but…
“Squash Surprise”–for Dessert
Year after year, one of my gardening daughters-in-law harvests lavish, overwhelming, crops of zucchini and yellow summer squash. This summer has been no exception to the pattern, with the yellow crooknecks especially prolific. After a certain point, however, the family becomes sated with variations of “squash surprise” dishes, but no one wants to just let…
Vitamin enhanced refried beans
It’s hard to make refried beans very photogenic, no matter how tasty they are, but I’d like you to look closely at this photo. See any little flecks of orange? These aren’t pepper flakes but instead are finely shredded carrots. Yup, carrots. Prepared with minimal fat, refried beans are a wonderfully healthy food just as…